Gridiron Classic 2025: Golfers, Sponsors & Donations Sought For Football Orgs' Fundraiser

ORLAND PARK, IL — Golfers, sponsors and prize donations are still needed for an essential fundraiser golf outing to support the Carl Sandburg High School and Orland Pioneers football programs, in addition to Erin's AAIM for Change and Misericordia.

The 16th Annual Gridiron Golf Classic, set for June 26 at Silver Lake Country Club, 14700 S. 82nd Ave., is a significant fundraiser for the programs and its selected nonprofit beneficiaries.

"The Sandburg Football program has built a tradition of excellence spanning over four decades, and the Orland Park Pioneers have been a large part of the success," the website reads.

The outing will have a shotgun start at 9 a.m., with registration at 7:30 a.m. The event will include several contests, including:

• Long Drive
• Closest to the Pin
• Hole-in-One Challenge

Registration for the outing is still available online. The registration fee for a foursome is $800. A ticket to only the dinner is $75. Mail-in registration is also accepted. More details available online.

Organizers are currently seeking sponsors for the event, ideally by June 16, they said, so their brands may be featured on signage and banners at the event. Sponsorships and donations will be accepted until the day of the event, organizers said.

Donations can include food and prize donations and silent auction items—"no donation is too small," organizers said.

Along with the football programs, proceeds also go to Misericordia and Erin's AAIM for Change.

Erin's AAIM (Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists) for Change was formed in memory of Erin Olmsted. Olmsted was an All-American gymnast and team captain at Sandburg High School in 1996-1997, at the time of her untimely death due to an intoxicated motorist. Since her passing, her parents and sister have worked tirelessly to keep Erin's ideals, aspirations, and dreams alive. In 1997, The Erin E. Olmsted Memorial scholarship was established. This scholarship has been given to over 90 recipients in memory of Erin.

"With these scholarships, we hope that these students will take 'a little piece of Erin' with them and always remember her dedication, hard work ethic, and burning competitive spirit—that the sky has no limit and to make a difference in the world," according to the foundation's website.

Additional beneficiary Misericordia has been supporting those in need since 1921. A foundation that began as a maternity ward that aided women in need quickly expanded into what it is today: A place that children and families with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities can go for support.

For the past 70 years, Misericordia has been serving societies most vulnerable citizens through CILAs (Community Integrated Living Arrangements for small groups in neighborhood homes outside Misericordia’s main campus), on-campus apartments, group homes on-campus, and skilled nursing residence. In order to ensure meaningful lives of their residents everyday, they also assist with employment, therapy, health and wellness, social and recreational activities, and outreach programs. In order to cover operating expenses, not paid by the government, Misericordia turns to friends, families, and the community to give their time and donations to help build a better future for these children and adults with disabilities.

Find out more about the Grid Iron Classic, registration, sponsorships or donations.